Joaquín Blez Marcé

Infobox Person
name=Joaquín Blez Marcé


caption=
birth_date=December 5, 1886
birth_place=Santiago de Cuba, Cuba
death_date=April 7, 1974
death_place=Havana, Cuba

Joaquín Blez Marcé (December 5, 1886 in Santiago de Cuba, Cuba - April 7, 1974 in Havana, Cuba) was one of Cuba's premier photographers.

Blez between the years 1904 and 1907, studied in A. Desquirón’s photography workshop in Santiago de Cuba. In 1922, at the Escuela Laboratorio de Fotografía. He also with Rodolfo Namias in Milan, Italy and in the later 1920’s he also took lessons at the "Internationale Lichbild Ausstellung" in Berlin, Germany. In 1937 and 1938 he studied photographic technique and illumination in Hollywood, California.

In 1939, he presented his first personal exhibition '"Fotografías de Joaquín Blez" as a section of the show "Exposition of Photografic Art", Palacio Municipal in Havana. During 1987, at Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes de La Habana his work was exhibited as "Crónica de un Estudio. Fotografías de Joaquín Blez".

Blez participated in many collective exhibitions such as the first "Salón Nacional de Fotografía" by the Asociación de Pintores y Escultores in Havana. In 1934 at the "International Exposition on Photography" held in Berlin, Germany. In 1947 he was invited to the "Pictorial Photographers of América" at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. In 1983, "La Fotografía en Cuba. Exposición Retrospectiva" at the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes de La Habana. In 1987, he also paticipated in "Sicof’87. Sezione Culturale" at the Palazzo Cisi in Milán, Italy and four years later in Havana "(1841-1991). El tiempo y su imagen" at Fototeca de Cuba. In 1998, his work was also involved in "Cuba: 100 años de fotografía" exhibition at the Casa de América in Madrid, Spain.

In 1923 he was awarded with the golden medal at the “Gran Certamen Popular Cubano Industrial y Mercantil” by newspaper El Mundo in Havana.

His works can be found in permanent collections of "Fototeca de Cuba" and at the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes de La Habana Cuba.

Individuals Exhibitions

* 1942 - "Cundo Bermúdez. Gouaches y Acuarelas", Lyceum, Havana, Cuba.
* 1946 - Palace of Fine Arts in Mexico
* 1946 - Palacio de Bellas Artes de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
* 1957 - "Exposición de Cundo Bermúdez", Instituto de Arte Contemporáneo, Lima, Perú.
* 1974 - "Cundo Bermúdez Painting/Alfredo Lozano Sculptures", Bacardí Art Gallery, Miami, Florida.
* 1979 - Museum of Modern Art of Latin America, Washington D.C..

Collectives Exhibitions

He was part of many collectives exhibitions such as:
* 1938 - "National Exhibition of Paintings and Sculptures" at the Castillo de la Fuerza, Old Havana, Cuba.
* 1940 - "Three hundred Years of Art in Cuba", University of Havana, Havana, Cuba.
* 1941 - "Cuban Contemporary Art Exhibition", Lyceum, Havana, Cuba.
* 1942 - "Some Contemporary Painters", Lyceum, Havana, Cuba.
* 1943 - "An Exhibition of Painting and Sculpture Modern Cuban", "Jose Gomez Sicre Institution", Havana.
* 1944 - "Cuban Painting Exhibition" at the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA), New York City.
* 1950 - "Pinturas". Cundo Bermúdez, Amelia Peláez and Martínez Pedro. Lyceum, Havana, Cuba.
* 1951 - "I São Paulo Art Biennial", Sao Paulo, Brazil.
* 1952 - "XXVI Biennale di Venezia", Venice, Italy.
* 1953 - "II Bienal de San Juan del Grabado Latinoamericano", Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
* 1994 - "Cuban Artists: Expressions in Graphics", Jadite Galleries, New York City.

Awards

He has been awarded and honored with:
* Prize of Acquisition of the Gulf Caribbean Art Exhibition, Museum of Fine Arts of Houston, Houston, Texas.
* 1972 - Hororable Mention, "Segunda Bienal de San Juan del Grabado Latinoamericano", "Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña", San Juan, Puerto Rico.
* 1973 - “Homenaje a Picasso”, Organization of American States (OEA), Washington, D.C..
* 1973 - Cintas Foundation Fellowship, New York City.

Collections

Bermúdez' work is in the permanent collectiones of:
* Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida
* Metropolitan Museum and Art Center, Miami, Florida.
* Museum of Modern Art, New York City.
* Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes de La Habana, Havana, Cuba.
* Hotel Riviera, Havana, Cuba.

References

* Eduardo Luis Rodriguez; The Havana Guide: Modern Architecture 1925-1965; (Princeton Architectural Press 2000); ISBN-13: 978-1568982106
* Vicente Baez, Virilio Pinera, Calvert Casey, and Anton Arrufat, Editors; Pintores Cubanos, Editors ; Ediciones Revolucion, Havana, Cuba 1962 es icon
* Jose Veigas-Zamora, Cristina Vives Gutierrez, Adolfo V. Nodal, Valia Garzon, Dannys Montes de Oca; Memoria: Cuban Art of the 20th Century; (California/International Arts Foundation 2001); ISBN 978-0917571114
* Jose Viegas; Memoria: Artes Visuales Cubanas Del Siglo Xx; (California International Arts 2004); ISBN 978-0917571121 es icon
* El Habanero magazine, "Recuento para una Historia de la Fotografía Cubana"; May 29, 2007
* Mujeres magazine "PARA ETERNIZAR EL TIEMPO"; November 18, 2004
* San Antonio Express-News, Travel Notes; April 6, 2003
* Dallas Morning News, "Cuban photographs"; March 28, 2003